Tory Farms

New Year | New Decade

New beginnings at ChezHelvetica! This day started with delicious deli at Toy Boats on Clement Street, fueling our search for the perfect locally sourced fresh fish to star in a “Sheet-Pan Harissa, Fish with Potatoes and Citrus” recipe, adapted from the New York Times. Our discovery at last – Monkfish from the Seafood Center. The fish roasted in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Moroccan Harissa Spice and juicy Tangerines and Oranges from Tory Farms and Meyer Lemons from my sister’s tree. Organic Green Beans, Tomatoes and Red Onion from Trader Joe’s with Brussel Sprouts and Red Potatoes accompanied. Delectable! We toasted the special night with Zonin Prosecco and Reed’s Ginger Beer. A gift of Gudrun Fine Belgian Chocolates concluded this wonderful New Year’s Eve, the last night of 2019. The first chapter of the Roaring 20’s, a Holy Roller on Ocean Beach – a huge cylinder stamped with symbols of many religions leaving marks in the sand, ushering in spirituality, creativity and peace for the new decade! Click to view short iMovie HolyRoller!

Pane/ Zanella Portmanteau

A portmanteau is a linguistic blend of words in which parts are combined to form a new word, like panzanella – the Italian words for pane (bread) and zanella (deep plate). This fine evening, ChezHelvetica served a Peach Panzanella Salad, blending words and the freshest of this season’s bounty. From the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Tory Farms Peaches, Acme Bread New York Rye, Zucchini and Celery macerated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Champagne Vinegar, then accented with Basil Chiffonade. Our first course was a creamy Asparagus-Broccolini Soup, followed by the Panzanella Salad and Roasted Chicken Breasts seasoned with Parsley and Lemon. Smooth, chilled Acacia Chardonnay from Carneros paired perfectly with our meal. Delicious “Grandma Harvey’s Cherry Cobbler”, a recipe from Gotelli & Sons Farm at the VA Farmers Market, burst with the sweetest Bing and Ranier Cherries served warm a lá Mode. A truly wonderful celebration for visiting family!

Little Gems

While my mother might describe her two daughters as Little Gems, ChezHelvetica’s definition this evening focused on the vibrant green leaves with a sweet, buttery taste known by this name. But first, Rigatoni Pasta Pie in a Mug! Intrigued by this recipe spotted on Facebook several weeks ago (made with Marinara Sauce), the ingredients used in the warm introduction to this dinner were creamy Mushroom Soup, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses, Basil and Barilla Rigatoni. Our centerpiece salad combined the delicious sweet and savory tastes of Little Gems, Herb Roasted Turkey Breast (using Rosemary, Sage and Thyme freshly plucked from the gardens and Acacia Chardonnay), Tory Farms Nectarines, Roasted Walnuts, Organic Celery and Italian Parsley. A simple Lemon Vinaigrette dressed the colorful salad, adding the perfect tang. For dessert, the sisters shared family stories while diving into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia FroYo. You just can’t beat that!

The Influence of Brexit

LittleGemSalad No, no, no – not on financial investments – on dinner! ChezHelvetica’s search for “Little Gems with Nectarine Salad” landed smack in Britain with this recipe from Philadelphia.Co.U.K. Exiting from the prescribed ingredients, grilled wild-caught Copper River Salmon Fillet replaced Chicken and Thai Heritage Seafood Sauce supplanted traditional Chili Sauce. The addition of freshly chopped Italian Parsley and Lemon Juice to the Cream Cheese dressing deviated further from the stated union. Tory Farms Nectarines and beautiful Little Gems (a sweet cousin to Romaine Lettuce) from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, spiced with aromatic Coriander, elevated the dish to a new plateau. Sukkis Naan, served warm in a new terra-cotta stone bread basket, accompanied the delicious sweet and savory salad. Ben & Jerry, also known for profound political statements, provided the happy ending to our meal with luscious Cherry Garcia FroYo. Therefore, Our Vote: Remain!

Fare Trade

Q. How to thank a dear friend for an exquisite painting? A. A work of art for a work of art – fare trade! While ChezHelvetica’s centerpiece Cobb Salad doesn’t match the effort taken to create the beautiful canvas, the overture was heartfelt. Robert Cobb’s classic Brown Derby recipe received a new coat of culinary paint with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market‘s freshly-picked Romaine Hearts, Curly Endive, Rotisserie Chicken and award-winning Point Reyes Farmstead Blue Cheese. Safeway‘s Farmer John thick-sliced Bacon, Open Nature Cage-Free Eggs, Kalamata Olives, and Trader Joe’s Avocado and Pearl Tomatoes completed the platter – all dressed in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon Mustard and a touch of Organic Cane Sugar. (Sadly, I found the perfect Chives purchased to garnish the Salad untouched in the refrigerator the next day…) Wild Mountain Raw Honey showered Medina Farms Blackberries, Strawberries and Tory Farms Oranges, also sweetening Mighty Leaf Ginger Tea, as confidantes shared exciting secrets in the new chapters of their lives!

Blissed Out on Blackberries

ChezHelvetica’s summer triptych of delights feature succulent Blackberries – crowning,
cobbling or crumbling as they transformed anything they touched. Banana Bread with Dulce de Leche, French Toast Casserole and Plum & Blackberry Cobbler (with a Granola topping) all morphed into new creations with these bramble berry jewels. With thanks to sister Abby for the Bananas, Tory Farms for the Plums and Phyllis and Fabrice Florin for the Blackberries, things are certainly juicy around here!

Back to Back : Heart to Heart

As excitement mounts for Thanksgiving, ChezHelvetica welcomed amazing Mother, followed by incredible Sister. A pre-holiday feast included traditional favorites – Roasted Turkey Breast, Yams and Dry-Fried Green Beans, with the vibrant addition of Kale with Pomegranate Dressing. Curly, purple Kale from Nuñez Farms met Pomegranate from Tory Farms, adorned with Champagne Vinegar, Shallot, Feta Cheese and beautiful deep purple Pomegranate seeds. Acacia Chardonnay from Carneros kicked off the meal; velvety Bogle Old-Vine Zinfandel paired with the decadent Caramel Mixed Nut Pie dessert. Luscious French Vanilla Ice Cream topped the Inzana Ranch Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds and Hazelnuts and rich Caramel Sauce. Then something new for guest #2: a Cornmeal Crust quiche (rather than bars) with savory Arugula, Onion, Garlic, sweet Flame Raisins and Pine Nuts mixed with Parmesan, Ricotta and Feta. The alluring fragrance of Cinnamon and Nutmeg instantly transported the Sisters to the Mediterranean. An aura of love and gratitude embraced both tables as we toasted our thanks to each other and to all that IS right in the world …

A SweeTart Buffet

Relaxed summer entertaining suggestions from Martha Stewart Living’s July issue put ChezHelvetica ahead of the game for this special mid-June buffet. Bursting with flavor, a Mint Pistachio-Pecorino Pesto doused assorted Crudites alongside a Spicy Three-Cheese Dip, sharpened with horseradish, cayenne and worcesteshire. Scrumptious Shrimp Rolls on grilled hot dog buns delighted guests with their lemon, tarragon and scallion accents; the excitement heightened further by the accompanying Acacia Chardonnay. For dessert, a delicious Frangipane Tart made with Raspberries, Tory Farms wind-swept Apricots and sweet almond filling brought smiles to our faces. The simple pleasures of summer!